In November 1621, The Pilgrims held the “First Thanksgiving” which celebrated the first harvest of the year. With the 53 Pilgrims that attended, 90 Native Americans also joined in on the festivities. It was declared a National Holiday in 1789, under President George Washington who made it a National Day of Thanks and Prayer. Today Americans spend Thanksgiving in entirely different ways then they did nearly 400 years ago, much less 20 years ago. America is widely known as the mixing pot of the world and it shows during Thanksgiving. He’s parents are both first generation immigrants from Singapore. “My family doesn’t really celebrate Thanksgiving,” said He. “I usually just go out with friends to a restaurant.” Some Pioneer students still celebrate Thanksgiving in the more traditional sense. Junior Andrew Weisman spends time with family and enjoys the classic American Thanksgiving meal. “I’m always in charge of making the mashed potatoes, but make sure you whip them, not mash them,” he said. Wiesman spends time with different family members from around the country every year. “We go to a different family member’s house each year,” Wiesman said. “I have family in a lot of different states.” Some people say that Thanksgiving is not something Americans should be proud of because of how the Native Americans were treated by European settlers. It wasn’t until September 2008 that Congress approved legislation creating Native American Heritage Day, which is right after Thanksgiving. “Native Americans played a big role in Thanksgiving, they were there at the table, and then suddenly when they were seen as an obstacle, they stopped being invited to the table,” said Pioneer history teacher Jennifer Kunec. “Thanksgiving is a reminder of what our country could be. We are always in constant mode of trying to achieve what our nation set out to be. Thanksgiving plays a role in reuniting our responsibility as American citizens to live up to the values of a Democracy.” One of America’s biggest traditions are the grand spectacle that are Thanksgiving Day parades. Huge floats and house-sized balloons combined with massive turnouts have made going to parades a staple American tradition. One of the most well known parades is the Macy’s parade which has been around for 92 years, but the most prominent parade is right in Detroit. It has been hosted by The American Parade company and is being present for it 90th year this year. Dr. Powell, Pioneer’s media specialist, is a frequent viewer of Detroit’s annual parade. “I’ve always gone to downtown Detroit to see the parade,” he said. “It’s a long lasting tradition.” He’s also an avid fan of following the parade with the all-American Thanksgiving Day football. Everyone has their own way of celebrating this Thanksgiving. No matter how each student chooses to spend the day, The Pioneer Optimist wishes each student a happy and healthy break.